Senior Conflict Researcher - International Development Consultancy Central London / Hybrid GBP 48-56,000 plus bens and bonus - (posted Aug 22 2024)

Company: Spalding Goobey
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MrWeb Ref: 161537

Job Spec: Our client is a growing social research consultancy committed to the mission of rebalancing power dynamics across knowledge production and humanitarian interventions within and beyond the international development sector. As such, they approach each project by first seeking to understand contextual settings through mediation of local knowledge. The research team works with clients across the humanitarian, development and peace-keeping sector, bringing an innovative, intersectional and expert-based approach to all its projects. Their diverse and international team of researchers include experts in conflict, gender, climate change and forced displacement and they successfully carry out M&E and research projects across Fragile and Conflict-Affected situations in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

We seek an experienced Senior Conflict Researcher to help deliver an exciting and growing portfolio of research and analysis projects. Sitting in the Conflict and Peacebuilding Team, the incumbent will be responsible for leading participatory peace and conflict analyses and evaluations to help inform and shape our clients' policies and programmes in a number of complex conflict-affected contexts. The role will be based in the UK with travel as required.

You would be ideal for this role if you:

• Have significant experience in leading research and analysis on topics including stabilisation, preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), climate security, and women, peace, and security (WPS)
• Are proactive - you anticipate problems and tasks, communicate them to the team, and propose solutions
• Are committed to, and have a track record in, producing sound, objective policy-oriented research and analysis outputs for humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors
• Have strong written and verbal communication skills.

You will:

• Have ample opportunity to develop your professional experience and interests across different thematic and geographic contexts, including the MENA, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia
• Be able to pursue your research interests, with the flexibility to propose research ideas and innovative approaches
• Collaborate with and influence the work of key international and national humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors
• Work closely with a team of energetic, dynamic, and expert researchers as well as local researchers and experts
• Have the opportunity to improve your foreign language skills and/or learn a new one.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Research

• Lead Conflict and Peacebuilding research and analysis projects, including project design, data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that deliverables meet quality expectations and deadlines
• Manage multiple, concurrently-running projects, balancing competing deadlines and internal resource requirements
• Identifying appropriate research designs to understand questions of interest and developing tools and approaches
• Engage with, and adapt, new research practices and approaches, and participatory research tools and methods applied in development research.

Business Development

• Support the identification of new business opportunities and the development of project proposals, including fostering partnerships with new and existing clients Build positive working relationships with external stakeholders, including potential partner organisations, senior members of academic institutions, and local CSOs, where necessary
• Assist in developing and standardising internal processes and procedures
• Assist in the development of internal knowledge and practices regarding conflict analysis and assessments, and write blog posts and website content.

Person Specification

Qualification and experience

• Masters degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Development Studies, International Relations, or a related discipline. PhD desirable
• Conceptual understanding and application of conflict and peacebuilding analytical frameworks and/or approaches, including conflict sensitivity, conflict prevention, conflict, transformation, mediation and dialogue, and stabilisation
• At least 7 years of experience delivering conflict analysis and research
• Demonstrated fieldwork experience in FCAS environments
• Good knowledge of data collection software and analysis packages (e.g., SPSS or NVivo) is desirable
• Fluency in English. Ability to speak and work in French and/or Arabic is desirable
• Experience of, or interest in, feminist research principles is desirable
• Ability to cope well under pressure, and to occasionally work irregular hours to meet tight deadlines.

Core competencies

• Research skills: Advanced analytical and conceptual ability, ability to distil information for relevance and context, excellent report writing skills and ability to write in a lucid accessible style
• Attention to detail: A commitment to high quality deliverables and reports, meticulous in approach to research and report writing
• Initiative and flexibility: Must be able to work independently, show initiative towards completing goals and objectives, but also have the flexibility to adapt and answer to different demands necessary to fulfil assigned tasks
• Teamwork: Openness to ideas and input from others on the team, ability to work collaboratively, and strong listening and interpersonal skills
• Organised: Must have a systematic approach to work, with the ability to multitask and manage time efficiently, meeting deadlines under pressure
• Integrity: Must have a strong sense of research and professional ethics (including willingness to complete safeguarding training and checks, and knowledge of 'do no harm' principles)
• Communication: Ability to communicate (verbal and written) confidently in English and to adapt to different audiences and cultural contexts.

Who to contact: Email your CV (in confidence) to sga@spalding-goobey.co.uk, quoting the reference above, or contact Andrew Goobey, Andrew Mercer, Caroline Rock or Rebecca Meaton on 020 7287 7237

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